Anchor



Dec. 11, 1962 Filed Dec. 15, 1958 J. O. BILLUPS ANCHOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Iilllliil INVENTOR. JAMES 0 B/LLURS /Zdi3.h

Dec. 11, 1962 J. o. BlLLUPS 3,067,715

ANCHOR Filed Dec. 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 9.

INVENTOR. JAMES 0. BILLUPS Y B 24/2, 0&2.

United States Patent 3,067,715 ANCHOR James 0. Billups, 1601 Oak Ave., Manhattan Beach, Calif. Filed Dec. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 780,296 7 Claims. (Cl. 114-208) This invention pertains to a new and improved boat anchor.

There are in the United States at the present time an extremely large number of ,small boat owners. The conventional anchors used with boats, and in particular with comparatively small boats, frequently are very troublesome to such owners. In many cases the present anchors are disadvantageous inasmuch as they are relatively difiicult to store in the comparatively small available space in a small outboard cruiser or other similar boat. Also many of the present anchors are disadvantageous inasmuch as they are comparatively heavy. The average individual dislikes and in many cases is unable to lift and move about a conventional type of anchor.

Further, many conventional anchors are undesirable for use because of the fact that they do not satisfactorily engage the bottom surface of a river, lake or the like so as to effectively hold in such a surface. Further, many present day anchors are comparatively unacceptable because of the fact that they use projecting flukes or the like which seriously impede or even completely prohibit, the retrieval of such anchors through beds of kelp or the like.

An object of this present invention is to provide new and improved boat anchors, and more specifically anchors which may be easily and conveniently used by small boat owners. Another broad general object of the present invention is to provide light weight anchors which are exceedingly effective in holding to the surface underneath a body of water. A further object of the present invention is to provide light weight anchors which may be collapsed upon retrieval so that they may be easily removed through beds of kelp, seaweed or the like. A still further object of this invention is to provide anchors which can be folded to a compact configuration for storage. Another object of this invention is to provide anchors which are capable of exercising a comparatively high amount of holding power per unit of weight.

These and other objects of the present invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from a detailed consideration of the remainder of this description, including the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an anchor of this invention in a folded configuration;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of this anchor in this configuration;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 6--6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view illustrating the use of an anchor of this invention;

FIG. 8 is a partial side elevational view indicating how this anchor is placed in a collapsed configuration; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view showing this anchor in a collapsed configuration.

The accompanying drawings are primarily intended to illustrate and explain a presently preferred embodiment of this invention. It will be realized however, that a number of diiferently appearing anchors utilizing the es- Patented Dec. 11, 1962 sential features or principles of this invention may be designed through the use of routine engineering skill.

As an aid to understanding this invention it may be stated in essentially summary form that it involves anchors, each of which includes a shank, a float, a fluke, a release member and a locking member. With the anchors of this invention both the float and the fluke are attached to one end of the shank in such a manner that they may be moved with respect to the shank itself. The release member used with this construction is designed so as to hold the fluke at a given predetermined angle with respect to the shank when the locking member properly engages this release member. With the anchors of this invention the locking member is capable of being moved so as to permit other parts of the anchor itself to move to an aligned position extending from the shank so as to permit easy withdrawal of the anchor through kelp or the like. Also the various parts of this anchor are designed so that they may be folded against one another for storage.

The actual nature of this invention is best more fully explained -by referring directly to the accompanying drawings, in which there is shown a complete anchor 10 of the present invention. A principal part of this anchor is an elongated shank 12 having a generally U-shaped cross sectional configuration. For convenience of explanation this shank may be considered as having an upper closed side 14 and a lower open side 16 and as having first and second ends 18 and 20. With this construction resilient extensions 22 are attached to the end 20 of the shank 12 so as to extend from it in order that various parts as hereinafter described may be pivotally mounted upon this shank.

With the present invention a pin 24 serves to pivotally mount a rod 26 so as to hold a hollow float 28 with respect to the shank 12. In the anchor 10 the float 28 may be rotated from a position along the upper side 14 of the shank 12 as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings to a position as indicated in FIG. 9 of the drawings in which this float extends from the second end 20 of the shank 12 in such a manner that it is substantially in alignment with the shank. Preferably the extensions 22 resiliently engage the rod 26 so that this rod stays in any position it is placed by force. Preferably, the float 28 is provided with diverging shoulders 30 adjacent to the rod 26 so as to facilitate pulling this float through kelp or the like.

With the anchor 10 a fluke 32 is also pivotally mounted upon the extensions 22 by means of a further pin 34. In the preferred embodiment of this invention illustrated this fluke 32 takes the form of a common spade and is provided with a somewhat sharp edge 36 which is designed to engage and dig into the sand, silt or the like at the bottom of a body of Water. This shape is preferred since it increases the holding power of the anchor 10 when this anchor is used. The fluke 32 is attached to the pin 34 by means of a bracket 38 having parallel sides 40 as indicated in FIG. 5 of the drawings. The fluke 32 may, however, be otherwise attached if desired. Preferably the fluke 32 is provided with diverging shoulders 42 extending from each side of the bracket 38 so as to facilitate withdrawal of the fluke 32 through kelp or the like and extends so that the plane of the fluke is aligned with the pin 34.

With this construction the fluke 32 may be rotated 180 from a position along the lower side 16 of the shank 12 as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawing so as to extend from the second end 20 of this shank as indicated in FIG. 9 of the drawings. During use of the anchor 10 it is preferred to secure the fluke 32 against rotation so that it projects from this second end 20 at somewhat less than a right angle to the shank 12. With the construction shown this is accompanied by using a release bar 44 so that a notch or shoulder 46 in a second end 48 3 of this release bar engages the base 56 of the bracket 38 attached to the fluke 32.

The release bar 44 is pivotally mounted upon the shank 12 through the use of the pin 34 employed in the mounting of the fluke 32. This release bar 44 normally extends through the lower open side 16 of the shank 12 as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings so that a first end 52 of it is adjacent to the first end 18 of the shank 12. This first end 52 is provided With an exposed curved surface 54. This surface 54 is of a circular or radial shape. During the use of the anchor lit the surface 54 is normally engaged by a correspondingly shaped curved hook surface 56 formed on a locking link 58.

This locking link is pivotally attached to extensions 60 on the first end 18 of the shank 12 by means of a small pin 62. The locking link 58 is provided with an opening 64 which provides serving as a convenient means for attaching an anchor rope or the like to the entire anchor 10. This opening 4 is preferably aligned with the shank 12 and the link 58 in the position shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 7 of the drawings. If desired, however, the opening 64 may be offset slightly toward the side 14 of the shank l2.

Undesired or accidental rotation of the link 58 is preferably prevented by means of a small finger 66 formed on the closed upper side 14 of the shank 12 so as to resiliently engage the release bar 44. If desired, this finger 66 may be considered a spring or spring means. This finger 66 serves to hold the release bar 4- against the link 58 so that the surfaces 54 and 56 can be rotated with respect to one another only if the link 58 is deliberately rotated.

The use of the anchor 19 is relatively simple. When this anchor is normally received by a purchaser or the like the parts are in the folded configuration indicated in the initial three figures of the drawings. In this configuration the finger 66 prevents rotation of the link 58 and the release bar 44. In getting the anchor it ready for use the fluke 32 and the float 28 are rotated until the fluke is held within the notch 46 and the float 28 extends from the shank 12 as shown in FIG. 7. The release bar is then placed back to its initial position and the link 58 is rotated so that the surfaces 54 and 56 engage one another. Either at this point or before an anchor rode '70 is attached to the opening 64.

The anchor 16 may then be used in the obvious manner, by being placed in the water. As it descends through the Water, the float 28 is in a substantially vertical position as indicated in FIG. 7 insuring that the fluke 32 will contact a surface beneath the body of water at the desired angle, but also supporting and controlling the descent of the entire anchor. During this operation an anchor rode 70 as indicated in phantom in FIG. 7 of the drawing will apply only a very limited or restricted amount of force to the link 58. Thus, there will be only a very limited amount of tendency for the link 58 to rotate as the anchor is placed in an operative position.

After the anchor 10 has been placed in an operative position as indicated in FIG. 7 of the drawings the anchor rode 70 will continue to apply force to the link 58 in substantially a direction extending along the length of the shank 12 provided that this rode is of a sufiicient length so that it is substantially aligned with the shank 12.

When it is desired to retrieve the anchor 10 this anchor rode 70 will be shortened, and as this occurs the angle at which force is applied to the link 58 will be changed. When the anchor rode is located at an angle to the shank 12 and force is applied to it, the link 58 will rotate in the manner indicated in FIG. 8 of the drawings so as to move the surfaces 54 and 56 with respect to one another, allowing rotation of the release bar 44. As the application of force continues this release bar 44 will rotate substantially 180 from its position adjacent to the lower side 16 of the shank 12. During such rotation the fluke 32 will be released so that as the rode 70 is pulled further as indicated in FIG. 9 of the drawings, the fluke 32, the float 28 and the release bar 44 will become substantially aligned with the shank 12 in such a manner that the entire anchor 10 may be withdrawn from the water with a minimum amount of difliculty. When the anchor has been retrieved in this manner it may be folded back to either a folded or an operative position.

Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will realize that anchors such as the anchor 10 may be made so as to be comparatively light weight and that these anchors, in spite of such light weight, exercise a very substantial amount of holding power; they will further realize that these anchors may be folded for storage with a minimum amount of difficulty and that these anchors may be easily used. Because of the nature of this invention it is to be considered as being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An anchor which comprises: an elongated shank having first and second ends; a float pivotally attached to said second end of said shank; a fluke pivotally attached to said second end of said shank; release means secured to said shank so as to be capable of movement with respect to said shank, said release means being capable of engaging said fluke means in a locked position so as to hold said fluke means at an angle to said shank; locking means movably mounted on said first end of said shank, said locking means engaging said release means so as to hold said release means and said fluke in said locked position, said locking means being adapted to be connected to an anchor rode and being responsive to force applied to it at an angle to said shank so as to release said release means, allowing said fluke to rotate with respect to said shank.

2. An anchor which comprises: an elongated shank having first and second ends; a float pivotally attached to said second end of said shank; a fluke pivotally attached to said second end of said shank; release means secured to said shank so as to be capable of movement with respect to said shank, said release means being capable of engaging said fluke means in a locked position so as to hold said fluke means at an angle to said shank; locking means movably mounted on said first end of said shank, said locking means engaging said release means so as to hold said release means and said fluke in said locked position, said locking means being adapted to be connected to an anchor rode and being responsive to force applied to it at an angle to said shank so as to release said release means, allowing said fluke to rotate with respect to said shank; spring means holding said release means and said locking means against accidental movement with respect to one another in said locked position.

3. An anchor which comprises: elongated shank means having first and second ends; float means pivotally attached to said second end of said shank means so as to be capable of being rotated from generally along said shank means to a position extending from said second end of said shank means; fluke means pivotally attached to said second end of said shank means so as to be capable of being rotated from generally along said shankmeans to means to a position extending from said second end of said shank means; release bar means mounted upon said shank so as to be capable of movement, said release bar means being capable of being moved from a locked position in which said release bar means engages said fluke means so as to hold said fluke means in a position extending at an angle from said shank to a position in which said fluke means is free to rotate so as to extend from the second end of said shank; and locking means mounted on said first end of said shank, said locking means engaging said release bar means so as to hold said release bar means in said locked position, said locking means being adapted to be connected to an anchor rode, said,

locking means being responsive to forces applied to it at an angle to said shank so as to release said release bar means, allowing said fluke means to rotate to a position extending from said second end of said shank means.

4. An anchor which comprises: a shank having first and second ends and having opposed upper and lower sides; a float pivotally attached to the second end of said shank at the upper side thereof; a spade pivotally attached to the second end of said shank at the lower side thereof; a release bar pivotally attached to the second end of said shank, said release bar having first and second movable ends located adjacent to said first and second ends of said shank, said second end of said release bar being formed so as to engage said spade and hold said spade so as that said spade projects from the lower side of said shank when said release bar is located along said shank; and a locking link pivotally mounted on said first end of said shank, said locking link including means adapted to be connected to an anchor rode and a hook engaging said first end of said release bar when said release bar is positioned along said shank said hook being located at the lower side of said shank, said means being generally aligned with said shank.

5. An anchor which comprises: a shank having first and second ends and having opposed upper and lower sides; a float pivotally attached to the second end of said shank at the upper side thereof; a spade pivotally attached to the second end of said shank at the lower! side thereof; a release bar pivotally attached to the second end of said shank, said release bar having first and second movable ends located adjacent to said first and second ends of said shank, said second end of said release bar being formed so as to engage said spade and hold said spade so that said spade projects from the lower side of said shank when said release bar is located along said shank; and a locking link pivotally mounted on said first end of said shank, said locking link including means adapted to be connected to an anchor rode and a hook engaging said first end of said release bar when said release bar is positioned along said shank, said hook being located at the lower side of said shank, said means being generally aligned with said shank; spring means positioned on said shank, said spring means resiliently engaging said release bar when said release bar is positioned along said shank and said hook is engaged with said release bar so as to hold said release bar in contact with said hook.

6. An anchor which comprises: a shank having generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration and having a closed upper side and an open lower side and having first and second ends; a float pivotally attached to the second end of said shank at the upper side thereof, said float being capable of rotating 180 from along the upper side of said shank so as to extend from the second end of said shank; a spade pivotally attached to the secend end of said shank at the lower side thereof, said spade being capable of being rotated from along the lower side of said shank so as to extend from said end of said shank; a release bar pivotally attached to the second end of said shank, said release bar normally extending within said shank from the lower side thereof and being capable of being rotated 180 so as to extend from the second end of said shank, said release bar having first and second movable ends located adjacent to said first and second ends of said shank, said second end of said release bar including a shoulder formed so as to engage said spade when said spade is positioned so as to project from the lower side of said shank and to hold said spade in said projecting position, said first end of said release bar being provided with a curved exposed surface on the lower side of said shank; and a locking link pivotally mounted on said first end of said shank, said locking link including means adapted to be connected to an anchor rode and curved hook surface, said curved hook surface engaging curved surface of said release bar when said release bar is positioned so as to extend within said shank, said means being aligned with said shank when said surfaces are in engagement with one another so that as force is applied to said link through said means from an anchor rode in a direction generally aligned with said shank, said curved hook surface is held in engagement with said release bar and so that when force is applied to said means through an anchor rode in a direction generally at an angle to said shank, said hook surface is rotated out of engagement with said surface on said release bar enabling said release bar to rotate so as to disengage said spade so that said release bar, said spade and said float can rotate to a position extending from said second end of said shank.

7. An anchor as defined in claim 6 including spring means formed on the interior of said shank, said spring means engaging said release bar when said release bar is positioned so as to extend within said shank and when said locking link is positioned so that said hook surface engages said curved surface on said release bar so as to hold said surfaces against one another in order to prevent accidental rotation of said locking link and said release bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3,067,715 December 11, 1962 James 0., Billups It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 57 strike out "means 00".,

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of September 1963,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER. DAVID L-LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

